Keenum, Yates impress while commanding first-team offense

Gary Kubiak turned the first-team offense over to T. J. Yates and Case Keenum Wednesday, giving Matt Schaub a break. All total, the Texans worked without a dozen of their established players for a variety of reasons, but Kubiak bragged afterward about how sharp practice was anyway.

“I told the guys that it says a lot about your team when the coach can sit down 12 veterans and watch the way you practiced today,” he said. “We’re going to have guys get hurt. We’re going to have guys miss games. We can never use (injuries) as an excuse. That was my message (to the team) today. I liked the way we practiced.”

Regarding Yates and Keenum, Kubiak said, “They were better today . . . pretty darned good. They struggled a little bit yesterday, especially in some seven-on-seven stuff, but that’s part of it. I wanted to see those guys operate with our (starters) and both of them, I thought, had a pretty good practice.”

Yates guided the Texans to their first-ever playoff victory subbing for Schaub in the 2011 postseason but hardly played last year. When he did, it often wasn’t pretty.

“T.J.’s career has been interesting because it was like, ‘Boom!’ – so many great things happened (at the end of his rookie year) and his confidence was sky-high,” Kubiak said. “Then you come back your second year and play the preseason but not play but about 20 snaps in the regular season, and it seemed like nothing went right in those 20 snaps. That’s part of being a backup quarterback. We just need to get him going again. He’s working hard. He’s doing good stuff and getting pushed extremely hard. I’m expecting him to continue to grow as a player.”

Photo: Brett Coomer / Chronicle

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Texans players gather together at the beginning of Thursday's OTA at the Methodist Training Center .

Texans players gather together at the beginning of Thursday's OTA at the Methodist Training Center .

Photo: Brett Coomer / Chronicle

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The Irish rugby team stands in the shade while watching the Texans practice during OTAs at the Methodist Training Center. The Irish rugby team in is Houston to play the United States men's national rugby team on Saturday at BBVA Compass Stadium. less

The Irish rugby team stands in the shade while watching the Texans practice during OTAs at the Methodist Training Center. The Irish rugby team in is Houston to play the United States men's national rugby team ... more